


Spot This Round

by Current521



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: F/M, Not At All Explicit, One Night Stand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 14:19:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20341519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Current521/pseuds/Current521
Summary: Ted is bored and goes to a pub, only to hook up with some chick named Emma.





	Spot This Round

**Author's Note:**

> My explanation for this is that I was writing something longer and I thought "wouldn't it be funny if Ted and Emma hooked up like two years before the events of the show as just one chapter of this" and then I realised that their whole relationship was honestly something I'd enjoyed writing, so here it is, in all its glory.

It was not yet midnight, and Ted wasn’t really in the mood to go home. There was only one pub in Hatchetfield, but it was a decent one, and Ted needed about six drinks.  
He was in the process of ordering a shot of whiskey when a woman around his age came up and started ordering without waiting for him to be done. “Just add that to mine,” Ted said. He smiled at the girl. “I’ll spot this round if you tell me your name.”  
She rolled her eyes at him, but she also smiled. “Hi, I’m Emma.”  
“I’m Ted.” Their drinks arrived. “Wanna grab a table?”  
“Sure, I was supposed to meet a friend, but she ditched me.”  
“Oh that sucks.” Ted pulled out a chair for Emma. “Hey, I don’t think I’ve seen you around before, are you new in town?”  
Emma nodded and sat down. “Well, I grew up here, but I’ve been out for ten years. Just moved back. Can’t believe this is still the only pub.”  
“It’s Hatchetfield, nothing ever happens.” Ted raised his glass. “Cheers.”  
“Cheers.” They clinked glasses and drank. “Yeah, tell me about it. I’ve been gone for ten years and I still know every single store in this godforsaken town.”  
“I’ve only lived here for five years.” Ted was weighing his chances of taking Emma home; pretty alright, he guessed. “I’m already sick of it, but now I’m here.”  
“Why’d you come here? I mean, what makes someone move to Hatchetfield?” Emma was drinking faster than Ted, but there was a fair chance she’d been sober when they’d started.  
Ted shrugged. “I got a job here. Didn’t have any reason to stay in Michigan so I just went.”  
“Bet you’re regretting that now, huh?”  
“Not really?”  
“Are you gonna buy me another drink or am I gonna have to get this one myself?” Emma got up and started moving towards the bar.  
Ted took out a 20 and handed it to her. “Get me a whiskey, sweetheart.” He smiled at her.  
Emma rolled her eyes at him, but she took the money and went to the bar.  
“Thanks.” Ted took the whiskey when Emma returned. “Hey, where do you work?”  
“Nowhere yet, but I’ve applied at Beanie’s. You know, the coffee shop?”  
“Yeah, I’m familiar.” Ted didn’t tell her that he went pretty often when at work. No need to scare her away. “A barista then?”  
Emma scoffed. “More like a student who can’t do better. But I will be a barista, I suppose, if I get the job. Where do you work?”  
“Oh, uh, CCRP, the tech company.” Ted knocked back his whiskey. “I’m getting another, you need anything?”  
“Hey, you can drink, huh? Yeah, if it’s on your tab, get me a martini.” Emma was actually smiling at him, which Ted appreciated. He had enough money to keep buying drinks for a while, but he hoped he could make a move soon.  
When he returned with their drinks, he sat on the bench next to Emma instead of across from her. “So, Emma.” He smiled. “Drinks here aren’t cheap and I have a crate of beer and a bottle of vodka in my fridge at home…” He raised an eyebrow.  
Emma sighed. “You know what? Fuck it, yeah, when I’ve finished my drink.” She elbowed him in the side. “Don’t take it as a hint.”  
“I won’t.” Ted took a sip of his whiskey to mask his smile. Going home with him might not be a hint, but that sure as hell was. “Just to drink some more.”  
“Right.” Emma took another sip of her drink, then looked at it for a second before knocking it back. “Ready to go?”  
Ted knocked back his whiskey. “Of course.” He stood and put an arm around Emma’s waist as they left the pub together.  
He hailed a cab. It was only three blocks, but they were both drunk, and Emma wasn’t wearing nearly enough clothes for December. Better put the extra money down and make it seem like he gave a shit.  
Once in Ted’s apartment, he cracked open a couple of beers and sat on the couch, a bit too close. Emma didn’t seem to mind. She was looking around the apartment. “You can afford an apartment like this by yourself? No roommates?”  
“None.” Ted shrugged. “It’s not that expensive.” He put a hand on Emma’s knee. “Do you want a tour?”  
She laughed. “Maybe when this beer’s empty. Cheers.”  
“Cheers.” They clinked their bottles together, and Ted was getting a lot drunker than he intended, but oh well. He wouldn’t mind; he just hoped Emma wouldn’t either.  
She leaned into him a little bit, so he took his hand off her knee and wrapped an arm around her shoulders instead. He wasn’t picky, and he counted it as a victory when she leaned in further.  
They small talked for a while longer, Emma sipping her beer while still leaned into Ted. He’d put his beer down, not really wanting to drink any more.  
“Okay, hang on.” Emma stood, a little shakily; Ted reflexively grabbed her elbow to steady her. “This is the worst, hang on.” She took a few steps away, turning her back to Ted. Then she reached under her shirt and unclasped her bra, and Ted laughed a little as she threw it on the ground. “Don’t laugh, it’s super uncomfortable.”  
“My laughing or the bra?”  
“The bra.”  
“Yeah, yeah, I’m not complaining.” He grinned at her.  
Emma looked, momentarily, like she was going to slap him. Then she held out her hand. “How about that tour?”  
“Right.” Ted took her hand and got up, careful not to use her as support; she seemed steady enough, but he wasn’t taking any risks. “Come on then.” He held her hand as he led her through the apartment - living room, kitchen, the small guest room that he mostly used as a makeshift home office and game room, the bathroom, and then his bedroom.   
He didn’t say much, and neither did Emma; Ted had a feeling both of them knew where this ended. “So,” he said when they were standing in his bedroom. “Now you’ve seen the house.”  
“This is an apartment,” Emma said. She was standing very close, looking up at him.  
What the hell. He leaned down to kiss her, a hand on her hip. She kissed him back, and he could feel her arms around him. He put his other hand up to cradle her face and pulled her a little bit closer. Not a lot; she was notably shorter than him, and he didn’t want to put his head down too much.  
She broke away after a few seconds. “Okay, are we doing this?”  
“What, fucking?” Ted raised an eyebrow. “If you want to. I know I do.”  
Emma shook her head, but she pulled him towards the bed.

Emma wasn’t in the bed when Ted woke the next morning; it would make sense that she’d sneak out, he supposed. Then he heard her.  
She was standing, still mostly naked in the middle of the bedroom, looking through the pile of their clothes that had been unceremoniously dumped on the floor. “Where is it?” she muttered to herself, annoyed.  
“If it’s your bra you’re looking for, it’s in the living room.” He raised himself up on his elbows to look at her. “And good morning, by the way.”  
“Good morning.” Emma made a noise of annoyance. “What’s your neighbour’s visibility of the living room?”  
“Very good, I’ll go get it for you.” Ted grabbed his pants and pulled them on. He went to the living room, grabbed Emma’s bra from where she’d discarded it on the floor, and walked back in the bedroom to hand it to her. “Do you wanna stay for breakfast?” he asked. He didn’t really want her to, he suspected nothing was gonna come of this, but hey. Didn't hurt to ask.  
Emma shook her head. “Not really, but I’d appreciate if I could use your shower.”  
“Go ahead.” Ted gestured to the bathroom. Then he couldn’t quite help himself. “Mind if I join?”  
“Gross, Ted. It’s Ted, right?” She looked slightly disturbed that she wasn’t sure.  
“Yeah. Erica, right?” He went to his closet to find a fresh shirt.  
“Emma!” She wasn’t really intimidating, five foot nothing in the middle of his bedroom, wearing only panties and holding her bra.  
Ted held up his hands. “I know, I know, I’m just messing with ya. Anyway, you were gonna shower?”  
“Right.” She collected her clothes and went to the bathroom.  
Ted got dressed and then went to the kitchen to find some breakfast. Emma poked her head in ten minutes later, fully dressed. “I’m leaving,” she said.  
“Alright. See you around?”  
“Hopefully not.” She left before Ted had a chance to reply.  
“Goodbye then,” he said to the empty kitchen.


End file.
